Notices Received

Violence against women in Ireland

Westside Community Development Project, Galway Traveller Movement and Galway City Partnership are organising an event on Wednesday 30th November to highlight violence against women in Ireland.

The event will be held in the Galway Traveller Movement offices, level 1, The Plaza, Headford Road, Galway from 10am to 12.30pm.

At 12.00 midday, baloons will be released to symbolise the one in five women who experience violence in Ireland. The purpose of the morning is to bring people together in solidarity to highlight that violence against women is not acceptable.

For more information, contact Vernice Murray, Westside CDP coordinator, 087 9303468 or 091 528325.

'The Gift' Christmas Charity Concerts

The Gift Christmas Concerts will take place on 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd Dec, in the Jesuit Church Sea Rd.

Tickets €10
On sale now  from The Jesuit community office 091 523707, Keara Sheeran 0879007003 or members of the choir .

Fashion show in aid of Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at UHG

A general knowledge table quiz hosted by parents of premature babies in support of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UHG, is on Tuesday 6th of December at 8pm in The Ardilaun. Also, a 'meet & greet' session for parents of children born early is on Sunday 11th December in The Ardilaun at 2pm. This is organised by the Irish Premature Babies charity. All welcome.

Arlene O'Brien

Message from Trocaire

Proverbs 21:26'...the righteous gives and does not hold back.'  During this Advent season our thoughts are with those people in the world's poorest countries who cannot feed their children, don't have enough water, can't get an education, have no healthcare when they are sick and whose human rights are abused. Trocaire's Global Gifts are a perfect way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and help the poor. Log on to www.trocaire.org/globalgift or call 1850 408 408 (0800 912 1200 in NI)   

Westside Community Christmas Bazaar

The bazaar will be held at the Westside Resource Centre, beside the library, on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th December 2011 from 10am to 1pm and on Sunday 18th December from 11am to 2pm.

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Parish Announcements for Sunday, November 27th 2011

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every evening in the side chapel of the Church from 8.00pm until 10.00pm. It is wonderful to experience the prayerful atmosphere there in the evenings and a source of blessing to the parish to have people praying at the heart of the parish before the Blessed Sacrament.


• This coming Friday, 2nd December, is the First Friday of the month. Mons. Malachy and Fr Hugh will visit those who are housebound due to illness or old age to bring them Holy Communion. Please let the priests know if there is somebody who should be added to our list.

• The Months Mind Mass for Martin Ryan, Corrib Park, will take place here in Sacred Heart Church next Saturday, 3rd December at 11.00am.

• We pray for those who have died:

- Seán Conneely, Rosán Glas, whose funeral is taking place in Inis Mór, Aran Islands

- Angela Louch, who has died in Coventry, niece of Paddy Daly, Gaelcarraig Park

- Brian Ryan, who has died in Sweden, brother of Stella Higgins, Corrib Park.

New translation of the Mass in English in full use from this Sunday's Masses

The new Altar Missal which will be used for the first time at Masses for the First Sunday of Advent

The priest's greetings and people's responses of the new translation of the Mass in English have been in use in Church for the last few weeks. On this First Sunday of Advent, we begin the full use of the new translation. The richness of the prayers and, often, the origins of their sentiments in the Scriptures, will be more obvious. Our unity with those celebrating Mass in other languages will be more clear too.

The Altar Missal for Sacred Heart Church has been donated in memory of Sinéad Ní Dhorchaidhe by her family.

Here is a homily given by Fr Hugh on the 9th October last, 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, when the Gospel was the Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22:1-14.

People can have different attitudes to getting an invitation to some celebration. I was talking to a parishioner here a few weeks ago who was very excited about getting an invitation to a wedding. He and his wife gladly accepted the invitation and went to the wedding. Sometimes, though, I meet people who aren’t enthusiastic about getting an invitation. They say, ‘Oh, no, another wedding to go to. I might think of an excuse to get out of it.’

Jesus talks about these two attitudes in today’s Gospel parable of the wedding feast. Of course this wedding feast in the parable stands for the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom is like a great banquet. Jesus is echoing the description of the banquet in today’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah. Now, the Kingdom of God is the fulfilment of the banquet God prepares for all peoples.

In the parable, the people invited by the king to the wedding wouldn’t come. The King tried again, and the next group didn’t accept the invitation either. They obviously didn’t appreciate the generosity of the king. He had to send his servants out to the crossroads to invite the good and the bad alike, and finally got some guests to come to the wedding. Even then, somebody came without a wedding garment. This represents the calling of sinners. We should be delighted to be invited even though we are sinners, but we are expected to repent and change our ways to come to the feast, and this person didn’t.
And so Jesus ends the parable concluding that ‘many are called but few are chosen.’ God invites us into the feast in his Kingdom, but he leaves us the freedom to respond with love. If he just forced us, it wouldn’t be love, and it’s when we love that we are being true to our being made in the image of God, who is love.
That brings me to an aspect of the new translation of the Mass in English. We have the new translations of the priest’s greetings, the people’s responses and the Gloria and the Creed, up and running successfully here now. What will come next for the first Sunday of Advent at the end of November will be the prayers said by the priest at Mass. What will probably get commented on most when this comes round, will be the new translation of the words of Jesus at the consecration of the precious blood. The new translation will say, ‘Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.’
Of course, what stands out is that the old English translation said that Christ’s blood ‘will be shed for you and for all.’ No doubt when Advent comes around, we’ll hear people giving out saying, ‘But Christ died for all.’ Why is the Church restricting this to ‘many’ now? Yes, of course, Jesus died for the salvation of all. But he respects our human freedom. It is possible for us to refuse his invitation, to reject salvation. And that’s why it’s better here to say, ‘for many’ rather than, ‘for all’. Jesus died for all, but people are free not to accept the fruit of what he has done. Anyway, that’s what’s in the Latin typical edition of the text, that the English is meant to be a translation of. The Latin says, ‘qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur’ and pro multis means ‘for many.’ Matthew and Mark wrote their Gospels in Greek, and both of them say ‘for many’ when they tell us what Jesus said over the cup at the Last Supper. The Greek term is tò peri pollôn. It means ‘many’ or ‘much’ or ‘most’, but it doesn’t mean ‘all’.
As I was saying before, this doesn’t mean Mass was any less valid in the old translation. Human language will always be imperfect. The English translators the first time round were impressed by the work of a German Lutheran Scripture scholar called Joachim Jeremias. He reckoned that the words probably used by Jesus in Hebrew and Aramaic would have more or less meant ‘for all’. But, saying, ‘for many’ can still get across that sense of God’s generosity, of multitudes beyond our imagining entering God’s Kingdom. Anyway, we can’t really say that some Scripture scholar knows better than Matthew and Mark, who wrote their Gospels under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And down through the centuries, the Church had always used the expression ‘for many’ at that time in the Mass. So, it wasn’t ideal for the English language to be going its own way on this.
So, the old translation can obscure the clarity of doctrine a bit. Using the correct translation of the ‘for many’ will remind us of the point of today’s Gospel, that ‘many are called but few are chosen.’ It will remind us that we are invited to the feast of God’s Kingdom. Jesus has won our entry. He has won our salvation. Now, it’s up to us to freely choose to accept the invitation and enjoy the fruits of this. This is an invitation given in love, calling for a response in love.

This homily is indebted for some of its ideas to a series of articles on the blog by Fr John Zuhlsdorf, What does the Prayer Really Say?
You can read the 4-part series of articles here for a more in-depth justification of the new translation in the words of consecration over the chalice:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Chatting with the President

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins meets Bernie and Susan Wallace
after he attended 12.15pm Mass at Sacred Heart Church last Sunday

Pope appoints new Nuncio in Ireland

Monsignor Charles Brown, appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Ireland

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Monsignor Charles Brown to be the new Apostolic Nuncio in Ireland. He will be ordained Bishop in the near future. Monsignor Brown is a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, currently working at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.

As well as higher degrees in history and theology, Mons. Brown holds a doctorate in sacramental theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo in Rome.

He was ordained a priest in 1989 and was a Curate in the Parish of Saint Brendan, the Bronx, New York until 1991. He has worked at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith since 1994. He became Chaplain to His Holiness and Monsignor in 2000. He has also been Adjunct Secretary to the International Theological Commission since 2009.

We pray that the Holy Spirit may guide the new Nuncio with wisdom as he sets out on his task of representing the Pope in Ireland.

Mass intentions for the week ahead 27th November 2011

Saturday 26th November
Vigil Mass  6.30 pm  Timmie Mannion and Eileen Spelman
Sunday 27th November  1st Sunday of Advent
9.30 am   Mary Flood and Thomas Madden
11am       Maureen Devlin
12.15 pm Teresa Kelly and Billy and Grace Joyce
6.30 pm   Edward Fitzgerald and deceased members of the Fitzgerald and Hosty families.
Monday 28th November
10am  Thanksgiving Mass and for the Holy Souls
Tuesday 29th November
10am  For all the Sick and deceased members of Galway Flower Club
Wednesday 30th November
10am  Tony Moran
Thursday 1st December
10am  Intention free
Friday 2nd December
10am  Intention free

Saturday 3rd December 
                   11.00 am  Martin Ryan (Months Mind Mass)
Vigil Mass   6.30pm   Colman and Bridget Hernon and Nora Hernon and deceased
                                  members of Hernon family.          2.  John and Mary Connell

Sunday 4th December  2nd Sunday of Advent

9.30 am       James Scally
11 am          Shane Rabbitt
12.15pm      Deceased members of Folan family and John and Nora and Johnny Brennan
6.30 pm       Michael Corcoran Snr.

More photographs with President Michael D. Higgins after Mass last Sunday

Thanks to Assumpta Francis for some more photographs from when the newly elected President of Ireland met and greeted parishioners after he had attended the 12.15pm Mass last Sunday.

Two members of Folk Group with Mrs Sabina and President Michael D. Higgins

Margaret Jackson and President Michael D. Higgins

Carol Hurley and President Michael D. Higgins

St Michael's GAA Club Fundraising Race Night

Saint Michael’s GAA club will be running their “Race Night” in Kelehans Bushypark on Saturday night 3rd December. The white flag for the first race will be raised at 9pm. This should be a great night out for all, with excellent horse races, great prizes for winning owners, trainers and jockeys. There will also be an auction race, raffles and loads of spot prizes. The funds raised will be used to pay for the new club house in Westside and the running of the juvenile, ladies and men’s club in 2012, so please come along and support your local club.

Vincent Kelly

President Higgins at Mass in Sacred Heart Church for first time since Inauguration

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina attended the 12.15pm Mass in Sacred Heart Church today, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King. Parishioners gave a warm welcome to the newly elected President. The Head of State briefly addressed the congregation at the end of Mass, thanking all for their good wishes and stressing how at home he feels here. He spoke of his great respect for Sacred Heart Parish Priest, Fr Malachy Hallinan.

President Michael D. Higgins with Fr Hugh Clifford, celebrant and Fr Martin Whelan, Diocesan Secretary, who acted as chaplain to the President for the Mass

Thanks to some members of the Parish Pastoral Council, who had been looking after the tea for the First Communion children and families of Scoil Bhride for the 11am Mass, and who kindly, at very short notice, provided tea and refreshments again after the 12.15pm Mass, giving parishioners a chance to meet and greet the President after the Mass.

Some members of the Parish Pastoral Council who organised refreshments after Mass:
Myra Byrnes, Eleanor Costello, Moria Byrne, Maureen Trill, Matt Hurley

President Michael D and Mrs Sabina Higgins met baby Allie Reidy Callaghan, who was about to be baptised.

President Higgins greets baby Allie Reidy Callaghan and her family just before her Baptism

Parish Sister, Sr Catherine O'Regan is a Daughter of Charity. Mrs Sabina Higgins' sister is a member of that order.

Sr Catherine with President Michael D. Higgins and his wife, Sabina Coyne

This visit was a pleasant surprise for all of us at Sacred Heart. President Higgins and Sabina had already sent a bouquet of flowers to the parish immediately after his election.

Marian Coleman, Sr Catherine, Eleanor Costello, President Michael D. Higgins, Moira Byrne,
Bernie Scally (parish secretary), Tess Donohue

The President stood for a photograph with those who organised the refreshments.

Matt Hurley (chairman, Parish Pastoral Council), Carmel Crawford, Marian Coleman, Sr Catherine, Eleanor Costello, President Michael D. Higgins, Moira Byrne, Maureen Trill, Bernie Scally, Sabina Coyne

Parish Announcements for Sunday, November 20th 2011

• The parish office is open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.30am to 1.00pm, for baptismal certificates and other certificates, booking of anniversary Masses, arranging dates for Baptisms and other occasions, and other queries.


• The rehearsals for the Children’s Choir for Christmas take place on Wednesday evenings at 7.00pm in the meeting room off the sacristy. Children over 6 years of age are welcome to take part.

• This Monday, November 21st is the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We wish the Presentation Sisters in the parish a very happy feast day. Some of the classes of Scoil Bhríde, Shantalla will be attending the Monday morning Mass here in the Church to celebrate the feast.

• Our prayers and sympathy to Robert Gavin, Coogan Park, on the death of his sister Mary Moss, Hammersmith, England, during the week.
Also to Mick Grealish, Corrib Park, on the death of his sister Bridie Grealish, Water Lane recently.

NUIG Lecture on the Feast of St Columbanus

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Mass intentions for the week ahead 20th November 2011

Saturday 19th November
Vigil Mass  6.30 pm  Willie Noone and Nancy Murphy
Sunday 20th November
9.30 am    Pat and Agens Burke and Jack Murphy
11am        Willie Creane and Patricia Murphy
12.15 pm  Daniel and May Carr and their son Danny and Sean Tedders
6.30 pm    Mary Hughes and Bernie and Kathleen Cooke and Timmie Mannion.

Monday 21st November
10am  John and Ellen Delargy and deceased members of Delargy family.
Tuesday 22nd November
10am  For all the Sick
Wednesday 23rd November
10am  Mary Boyle
Thursday 24th November
10am  Maureen Qualter and deceased members of  Noone and Qualter families.
Friday 25th November
10am  Sarah Walsh

Saturday 26th November
Vigil Mass   6.30 pm  Timmie Mannion and Eileen Spelman

Sunday 27th November  1st Sunday of Advent
9.30 am    Mary Flood
11am        Maureen Devlin
12.15 pm  Teresa Kelly and Billy and Grace Joyce
6.30 pm    Edward Fitzgerald and deceased members of the Fitzgerald and Hosty families.

Pope Benedict to visit Benin

Pope Benedict's last visit to Africa was to Cameroon and Angola in March 2009

Pope Benedict XVI will make an Apostolic Journey to Benin in the west of Africa from tomorrow, Friday 18th November 2011 until Sunday. His visit marks the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first Christian missionaries in Benin. A special assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops was held in October 2009 and the Pope is now ready to publish his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation arising from that Synod. Therefore, he will sign and publish this significant document during this visit. He will also visit the grave of the late Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, who was Dean of the College of Cardinals and was much loved in Benin.

You can follow the Pope's homilies and speeches during the trip here.

First Communion children at 11am Mass this Sunday, 20th November 2011



The First Holy Communion class of Scoil Bhride, Shantalla and their families come together for Mass at 11am this coming Sunday, 20th November 2011. We pray with and for the children preparing to receive the gift of Christ's body in the Eucharist for the first time as they follow the 'Do this in memory' programme, with parish, home and school cooperating in helping the children along this journey of faith.

The children and their families are invited to stay on after Mass to meet each other and have a cup of tea and refreshments.

Preparing for the Eucharistic Congress

The International Eucharistic Congress will take place in Ireland in June 2012. To learn of the plans and progress so far, see the Congress website here.
To listen to or download the anthem for the Congress, click here.

Eucharistic Congress Bell in Sacred Heart Church, July 2011

Sacred Heart Parish has been involved in a special way in the preparations for the Congress, having been a port of call in July for the bell calling the people of Ireland to prayer.

Child Protection in Galway Diocese

Mr. Kevin Duffy has been appointed Child Protection Officer for the diocese, providing professional support to the diocese and to its parishes, in implementing best practice in Child Protection.

Notices Received

COPE FUNDRAISER

Monster Christmas Cookery Demonstration in the Kingsvalley Hotel, Dublin Rd. Thurs. 1^st Dec. 7.30-9.30pm. Free finger food and mulled wine. Tickets €10 available from the hotel and COPE Galway offices, Tuam Rd. Call Pamela on 778750 for more.

"The Gift" Christmas Gospel Concert 2011

Tickets now on sale

Dec 20th, 21st, 22nd & 23rd
€10 (Children 15 and under go free)
Contact the Jesuit Church Office @ 091523707 and Keara Sheeran 0879007003
Fundraising for Ability West and Galway Projects

Parish Announcements for Sunday, November 13th 2011

• Daily Mass in Sacred Heart Church is at 10.00am from Monday to Friday. The Mass every Tuesday is offered for the sick of the parish. You are welcome to put the names of sick parishioners and loved ones on the book of the sick in the sacristy so we can pray for them at the Tuesday Mass.


• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place in the side chapel every evening of the week from 8.00pm until 10.00pm. This is a chance to experience peace and prayer in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord.

• Sacrament of Confession is available on Saturday evenings from 6.00pm in the Confession Box or any time by request.

• Practice for the children’s choir for Christmas take place on Wednesday evenings at 7pm in the meeting room off the sacristy. Children from 6 years of age upwards are welcome to come along.

• Mass next Sunday, 20th November 2011 at 11am will be this month’s time for First Communion children of Scoil Bhríde, Shantalla, and their families to come together as part of the ‘Do this in memory’ programme. The children and families are invited to stay for refreshments then after Mass.

• The Indian Community Mass will take place here in the Church this coming Wednesday, 16th November 2011 at 6pm.

• See the posting below for information on the Séamus Quirke Road roadworks. Parishioners crossing the road to get to the Church at the moment, please be very careful.

City Council Message about the Roadworks

We have received the following message from Galway City Council Transportation Unit:

Further to previous correspondence in relation to improvement works at the junction between Newcastle Upper (N59) and the Quincentennial Bridge (N6) along the N6 Corridor and on the Seamus Quirke/Bishop O' Donnell Road Scheme, please note the following:


Seamus Quirke / Bishop O' Donnell Roads Scheme

Pedestrian Access: The traffic transfer to the Northern carriageway will require the Contractor to close up the existing pedestrian accesses from the Seamus Quirke Road into the West City Centre Retail Car Park and the Westside Business Centre. Pedestrian access will still be available via the main entrances off the Old Seamus Quirke Road. This will take effect over the period Friday November 11 to Monday November 14, 2011. (See attached map)
The first section of traffic transfer between Circular Road and the Browne Roundabout will commence after lunch today Friday November 11, 2011.

N6/ Newcastle Road Junction

Due to current unfavourable weather conditions, anti-skid work at the N6 / Newcastle Road junction will re-start on the morning of Saturday November 12, 2011 and will continue next week from Monday to Friday between 10am - 4pm.

Galway Transportation Unit wishes to apologise for the inconvenience caused to all road users in relation to these lane restrictions.
 Regards,
Galway Transportation Unit

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